Ammon News - By Shaherah Khatatbeh

AMMONNEWS - A sharp competition is rising between candidates running for seats in the Shura (Consultative) Council of the Jordan Muslim Brotherhood (MB) this week as the MB general assembly members cast their votes for the upcoming session.

Preliminary election results in the MB branches revealed competition between candidates of both the "doves" and "hawks," the most prominent trends in the Islamist movement, with the "hawks" receiving a winning edge so far.

The most leading figures of the party made it to the council, including Salem Falahat, former overall leader (General Comptroller) of the Muslim Brotherhood, Ibrahim Mashwakhi, Abdul Latif Arabiyat, Mohammad Abu Fares and other top leaders from the Brotherhood.

The party has been perceived to be divided between the hawks' camp, which are viewed as more hardliners who also favor stronger ties with the Palestinian Islamist group, and doves, described as moderates, and who wish to sever the party's links with Hamas.

In one of Amman's most competitive district, MB election-wise, the Jabal Hussein branch is witnessing a crucial competition between Zaki Bani Rsheid, the current chief of political bureau of IAF, who is considered from Hawks trends, and Ishaq Farhan (doves trends)who took over as secretary general of the Islamic Action Front (IAF), the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, two years ago.

According to monitors and analysis of the movement, the Hawk trend is expected to nominate Hmmam Saeed, the current General Comptroller of Muslim brotherhood, as a candidate for the leadership of the movement, while doves are expected to nominate Falahat, a senior MB leader who previously held several important positions in the movement.

The Shura Council consists of 53 seats, including 47 elected members (either by election or acclimation) representing 36 MB voting districts, and 5 members appointed by the Council, in addition to the General Comptroller.

According to MB bylaws, the new council chooses the new overall leader of the movement, the General Comptroller, and members of the political bureau for the upcoming 4-year term.

It is noted that no women ran for elections as members of the Shura Council, although female members of the general assembly cast their votes for representatives in the council.